


Mornings

by Peskychloe



Series: Spinal Injury AU [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Disabled Character, Established Relationship, M/M, Spinal Injury, mention of blood (very slight)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-31 03:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12673839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peskychloe/pseuds/Peskychloe
Summary: Six mornings out of the best year of Chikara's life.





	Mornings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Blueismybusiness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueismybusiness/gifts).



 

 

The first time Chikara wakes up in his room with Yuuji, they're both a little embarrassed. He's sure from his breathing that Yuuji is awake, even though he's turned away from him. If things were different, and he could move them, he'd put an arm out to reassure Yuuji nothing has changed.

Instead, unsure of what to say, he waits for him to turn over.

Eventually he does, with a sleepy grunt, and smiles at Chikara. “I could feel you looking at me, ya know.”

“You sleep okay?”

Yuuji stretches and squeezes his eyes shut. “Yeah. I can sleep anywhere. Mum says I could sleep hanging on a washing line. You?”

Chikara shakes his head. “I don't sleep that well. Never have.”

“So, I didn't keep you awake?”

“Nah. I had a song going around in my head all night.” He doesn't want to say which song, because it's a song Yuuji hasn't stopped playing since the summer, and he might blame himself for keeping Chikara awake, even though it wasn't that.

Yuuji yawns and moves a little closer. “You don't mind, do you?” he asks after the fact, already butting Chikara's chin with his head.

He doesn't even answer, just kisses the top of Yuuji's head and listens to his breathing change as he falls asleep again.

–

For once, Chikara falls asleep before Yuuji. He wakes up again just after two – he can see the projection of the clock on the wall – and Yuuji's phone is lighting up his face.

“Why are you still awake, honey?”

“Headache.” Chikara has never really seen Yuuji tired, but working overtime for the Christmas postal deliveries has made him crabby, and for some reason the more tired Yuuji is, the less he sleeps.

“There's pills on the bedside table.”

“Urgh, I can't be bothered to get up.” He looks up at Chikara, frowning. “Wish you could pass them.”

“If I could, I would.”

“I know.” He smiles. “I'll never get to sleep with this headache! I'll reach over you and get them, if that's alright?”

Chikara nods his head, and Yuuji starts making a move. He stops.

“No funny business,” he scolds Chikara, “Just 'cause I'm leaning over you, doesn't mean you can mess about with me.”

“It's two in the morning, you dickhead.”

Yuuji narrows his eyes, before leaning over Chikara. His t-shirt lifts as he stretches, flesh brushes against Chikara, and _of course_ he kisses him.

To be honest, any time any part of Yuuji gets near him, he has to kiss it. Yuuji doesn't really mind, at least not usually.

He moves back with the blister pack of pills crinkling, smiling at Chikara; he's relieved to see his headache isn't bad enough that he's annoyed with him. “I thought I said no funny business...”

“I only kissed your stomach.”

Yuuji pecks him on the lips and then stretches away towards the other side of the bed, presumably to get his bottle. After what seems too long to pick up his water, Chikara starts to get concerned and peers into the dim light of the room; he can see Yuuji with one arm hanging off the side of the bed, the other still holding the pills, and the lack of movement starts to worry him.

“Yuuji, love? Are you okay?”

He gets a snore in response.

“So much for never getting to sleep with this headache,” he mutters.

–

The first thing he notices when he wakes up is a weird smell. The second thing he notices is Yuuji sleeping in a chair beside the bed.

It takes a moment to realise where he is, even though he spent months in the hospital and has only been home a couple of weeks. He got used to his new room already.

Yuuji seems to sense there's someone else conscious in the room and shifts his hips as he wakes as well.

“What are you doing here?” is the first thing Chikara says, and he immediately regrets it when Yuuji's face falls.

“Your mum called me,” he says, pushing the hair back off his face, “I can go if you don't want me here.”

“It's not that. It's the middle of the night.”

Yuuji shakes his head. “Nah, it's nearly lunch. You've been out for a while.” He smiles at Chikara, whose heart is hammering at hearing he's lost hours of his life somehow. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Not really.”

“Problem with your catheter. Dunno what it was, but it's sorted now and they gave you something to knock you out.” He stretches out of the chair and sidles over to be closer to Chikara, lifting the sheet without comment. “There was blood everywhere when I got here,” he says as some kind of explanation when he sees Chikara looking at him questioningly, “Checking it's clear now.”

“And?”

“It's fine.” He leans and kisses Chikara's forehead. “They asked me to fetch a nurse when you woke up. I'd better get someone.”

“Okay.” Despite him trying to bolster it with courage, his voice is tiny and he sounds terrified.

Yuuji furrows his brow and pulls his mouth taut. “You're fine. You're in the right place, and I'm going nowhere.”

He walks off and Chikara is overwhelmed with gratitude and love, even though he's still terrified.

–

Chikara opens his eyes to find Yuuji staring at him.

“Happy anniversary!” Chikara flinches with the volume, but Yuuji just laughs. “Been waiting for you to wake up.”

“How long have you been awake?”

“Since about five.” He leans and kisses Chikara on the lips, before pulling a face. “Morning breath. Pfft.”

“You have it as well,” Chikara grumbles.

“I smell like beautiful tulips at all times.” He nudges Chikara. “Get it? Tulips. Two lips.”

Chikara sighs. “Well, it's been a good run, but I think that terrible joke is the last straw. Let's break up.”

Yuuji practically throws himself onto Chikara, who oofs as the wind is pressed out of him by Yuuji's arms around him. “Never. You've got me for good.”

Chikara is glad Yuuji snuggles up against him so he can no longer see his face. They've only been together a year, but Yuuji always talks like this, like they'll never split up, like this is a forever thing.

How is that possible?

–

He's woken by his mum knocking on the door. Yuuji whines and pulls the covers further over his head.

“Five minutes,” Chikara shouts at the door, before turning to Yuuji. “We have to get up. It's the nurses this morning.”

“Ohhh, come on. It's my last day.”

“I can't help it, honey.”

“I know, I know. Three minute cuddle. Then I'll get up.”

Morning breath isn't important today. There's three minutes, and Chikara intends to make the most of them.

But it lasts longer than three minutes. It always does. The seconds get away from them both when they're in each other's arms.

Toshi sighs when she comes back and they haven't moved, but she can't get angry. They're both so apologetic, and she can remember what it was like to be that age.

She's less forgiving when she comes back after another two minutes and Yuuji's trousers are still being pulled up his legs and he's still kissing her son like his life depends on it.

–

Chikara hasn't woken up alone for weeks now. Yuuji's parents haven't seen much of their son, while Chikara's have probably seen way too much of him.

Because he hasn't slept alone, he hasn't had his black pipe near his mouth, but its presence looming over his face is the first reminder.

The second reminder is Earl yowling to be let behind the curtain so she can sit on the windowsill and watch the birds. Yuuji usually relents and moves it for her.

“I can't move the curtain, and I'm not calling Mum at six in the morning for you.”

Earl won't stop yowling and Chikara thinks she might wake up the whole house anyway. He listens out, but his parents are far enough away that they won't be stirred by her. He built the house that way, but without Yuuji he feels suddenly isolated.

He thinks for fifteen minutes – he watches the clock projection change – before deciding he'll use the black pipe.

It takes a minute to recall which spot he programmed Yuuji's mobile into on his control system, what with 'one' and 'two' being taken by his parent's mobiles. He chuckles when he remembers Yuuji programmed it into 'nine' after being upset at not being 'one'.

He doesn't care if it's too early. He wants to speak to him.

The phone barely rings before it's answered.

“I was lying here staring at my phone, trying to decide what time I could call you without freaking out your parents. And then it rang, and it's you!” Yuuji sounds breathless, and Chikara thinks, not for the first time, how he's going to cope without seeing him every day.

“Morning, Yuuji.”

 


End file.
